


By The Firelight

by CaptainCorale



Series: But Loving Him Was Red [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, Fluff and Angst, Lovesickness, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Post-All That Remains, Varric POV, Watching Someone Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 01:45:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3710209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCorale/pseuds/CaptainCorale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Getting lost in a rainstorm means sleeping in a cavern for the night. Varric keeps an eye on Fenris who is not at all ridiculously lovesick for Hawke. Pre-Act3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By The Firelight

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic for DA fandom, I hope you enjoy it. I'm working on a little series of oneshots that take place during the development of a canon-compliant friendly romance. These two goobers just hit all of my fangirlish buttons. I highly recommend listening to 'Iris and Jasper' by Hanz Zimmer while reading this.
> 
> If you enjoyed my work, please consider [ buying me a coffee ](http://https://ko-fi.com/cptncorale/) so I can sit and write in coffee shops and be super powered with caffeine!

A wrong turn off the path to Sundermount and a rainstorm left the three men seeking refuge in a cavern overnight. Walking to Kirkwall by darkness or rainfall wasn't a huge concern for them, but they were exhausted after climbing the hills to the Dalish and emptying a nearby cavern of a hefty nest of spiders. It sure as hell wasn't the first time they'd gotten lost on their way home. Hawke was sometimes convinced he didn't need to bring his map along, and every-damn-time he was proven wrong. Mages were so full of shit. Just because they could manipulate the elements and devastate the earth didn't mean they knew their ass from their elbow anymore than the average moron. Hawke just winked when Varric groused at him.

 “Varric,” he purred, “it's fine! Look, we have shelter for the night and I'll get a fire going. We can get Fenris to grouch about how dirty it is, get your dodgy flask out and it's practically The Hanged Man.”

 Varric laughed. He was a funny son of a bitch, Hawke. He had to give him that, at least.

 “If it's so dodgy, you won't be wanting any, will you then? More for me and the elf,” he said.

 Hawke pouted. “Cruel race, the dwarves.”

 Fenris rolled his eyes at them. “This is  _much_ cleaner than The Hanged Man,” he said.

 They dried off as best they could by the fire Hawke created. Just as well he was a mage after all, Varric thought. As a city dwarf living in relative comfort he had absolutely no idea how to light a fire in the wild outdoors. A bit pathetic, really. Hawke undressed to dry off his sodden robes, leaving him in a pair of unflattering leggings. The dwarf wolf-whistled at him and got a crude hand gesture from Hawke and a dirty look from Fenris for his trouble. Taking out his flask, Varric rolled his eyes as he caught Fenris enjoying the “scenery” from under his lashes. Apparently the leggings weren't so bad after all. The elf's eyes unsubtly burned a path down the man's exposed abdomen and the curves of his backside.

 “You alright there, Broody,” Varric asked, a smirk in his voice. “Looking a little flushed over there.” 

 The elf jolted. “I'm...fine. Thank you,” he grumbled, knowing he'd been caught.

 “Are you unwell,” Hawke asked worriedly, walking to him. Fenris actually took a panicked step back as Hawke extended a hand to touch the elf's forehead. The mage faltered and dropped his hand immediately, looking guilty. “Well, I'm sure you're okay,” he said in a small voice. Fenris opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but changed his mind as Hawke's back turned. Varric shook his head. These two were ridiculous.

They ate quickly and shuffled near the fire to sleep, exhaustion drying up weak attempts at conversation. The rain continued to pelt the ground outside as it got heavier. Somewhere in the distance a rumble of thunder rolled through the sky. It made Varric think of Bertrand and how he used to shit himself when a storm hit when he was younger. Funny as hell, so it was. After some time, thoughts of his brother still polluting his attempts to sleep he heard a shifting body over the sound of Hawke's low snoring. It was Fenris, shivering in his still damp leathers. He moved to sit nearer the fire but conveniently ended up more within reach of Hawke than the heat of the flames. Varric observed him from the corner of his eye, determined to see what Fenris was up to. He made a set of rather convincing snore noises so the elf would believe he was also asleep.

 It was several minutes before the elf lay down, turning away from the crackling fire and facing Hawke instead. He watched him sleep for a while, so long that Varric almost fell asleep himself out of boredom. Eventually though, Fenris leaned up on an elbow to gaze at the human properly. His large, green eyes travelled over the planes of Hawke's bare chest and arms before resting finally on his face. For a moment Varric was sure the elf was about to plant one on him, and wouldn't that have thrilled Isabela. A stolen kiss in the firelight, how  _naughty_ , she'd say with delight. But instead the elf slowly raised his other hand up and gently brushed the dark hair back from Hawke's forehead and played with the strands. Fingers drifting, he stroked the side of his bearded face so lightly he was barely touching him at all, his expression full of longing and something much sadder. It was an exceedingly private and rare, unguarded moment from Fenris that Varric almost felt bad for watching.  _Almost_. This was romance gold for his stories. He couldn't  _make_  this shit up.

 The elf's eyes were wistful, yet a small, sweet smile played over his lips. His fingers fluttered lightly to Hawke's nose where he ghosted over the thick, red scar there with the pad of his thumb, before letting his index finger trail to the man's lips where they lingered. He cupped his jaw in his hand while his thumb stroked softly. He sighed deeply.

 Damn, Elf. You've got it bad, thought Varric.

 Varric didn't pretend to understand what was going on between the two of them. He and Hawke didn't have many heart-to-hearts about well, matters of the heart. Hawke could be kind of private that way, unless some cheap ale was involved. The last he'd heard from Anders and Isabela was that they'd slept together over a year ago before Fenris dumped Hawke not even a few hours later. Excellent fodder for jokes, naturally. But Hawke had been alone in the romance department since which made it all a little less funny, and a little more sad. They didn't know why they weren't together now, but it was obvious the two of them had unfinished business. It was even more obvious from this little display that Fenris was head over heels for Hawke. They all had their fun with the grumpy bastard, but truly Fenris was a pretty complex guy; angry, bitter and troubled. Understandable, Varric figured, after the shit he'd been through. Nevertheless, he wasn't sure Hawke knew what he'd gotten himself into. Apparently, Fenris didn't either. Clueless bastards, thought Varric, rolling his eyes again.

 Hawke grunted a little and pouted, caught in a dream. Fenris briefly looked like he might laugh at him before the usual miserable crinkle appeared between his brows and he snapped his hand away quickly, his mouth a thin line. With a cough and snore loud enough to rival a damn Ogre, Hawke shifted and threw an arm over whatever heat source was shifting from him, namely Fenris. The elf gasped, but didn't struggle to get free. After another long moment of looking at Hawke's arm, startled, he moved a little bit closer. The little smile came back again, reaching his eyes this time and at last he closed them to sleep.

 Oh, Broody, what are you doing, Varric thought to himself before he too closed his eyes.

 When dawn began to break and birdsong could be heard in the distance, Varric woke up. Fenris was back at the opposite side of the cavern, asleep against the wall. Hawke was awake and dressed, his hands conjuring another thin tendril of flame to warm them. He was looking at Fenris who hadn't started to rouse yet. He sighed and finished his spell.

 Varric shook his head. Totally Clueless.

 "Morning, Hawke. Sleep well?"

 "Very," he said.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on tumblr. Come [ say hi on there too! ](http://captaincorale.tumblr.com) :-)
> 
> If you enjoyed my work, please consider [ buying me a coffee ](http://https://ko-fi.com/cptncorale/) so I can sit and write in coffee shops and be super powered with caffeine!


End file.
